Running Hot

by David Hill

Even though it’s a scorching summer afternoon, Garth and his friends are hard at work, thinning trees to earn money for a trip to Fiji. They notice a small fire, but before they can put it out flames have completely engulfed a pine tree . . . and then another. And another. As panic rises, an eerie silence falls until there's a thunderous explosion and the entire clearing erupts in flames: the fire is crowning, and all they can do is run for their lives. Dodging burning embers, unable to hear each other over the fire’s deafening roar, hoping to find a ditch, a trench, any protection at all, Garth wonders — how can they all possibly survive? With powerful realism, David Hill evokes the sheer gut-wrenching terror of being caught up in an inferno as well as the resourcefulness bred by utter desperation.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction

116 pages, Library Binding

First published August 1, 2006

About the author

David Hill (born 1942) is a New Zealand author, especially well known for his young adult fiction. His young fiction books See Ya, Simon (1992) and Right Where It Hurts (2001) have been shortlisted for numerous awards. He is also a prolific journalist, writing many articles for The New Zealand Herald.

He cites Maurice Gee as his favourite author, and Joy Cowley and Margaret Mahy as his favourite children's authors.

Hill attended Victoria University in Wellington, graduating MA Hons in 1964. Hill currently lives in New Plymouth.

Reviews

[Lara Vehar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is short and sweet, but it's also packed with action and fear. It's intense, it's scary and it's about an important thing - about how one little carless action can ignite one tree or one bush and suddenly the entire forest is on fire. It's an important book about a topic that people often forget about.

[Eileen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bush fire started by careless youth leaves a group of young forestry workers and their team leader in extreme danger. Written from a teenage boy's perspective, David Hill is realistic and gripping.

[Kenneth Zhu · Rating 4 out of 5]

OVAL PRESENTATION REVIEW
Keep an eye on there for the review of the book I read after the Oval Presentation.